Both squads are part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SAC), although in different divisions. Both are also within the same district, with Hackett winning last season’s lone meeting in the district tournament, 40-22. Prior to that, Gobles held a five-game winning streak over Hackett. They didn’t meet two seasons ago. Three seasons ago, Gobles won 41-25 in a district meeting and 50-33 in the regular season.

Gobles finished 16-5 last season and graduated Hailey Baxter, who averaged a double-double per game. However, Baxter was the lone Tiger senior, meaning everyone else returns. Hackett went 18-6 and most notably lost All-SAC Valley selection Hope Baldwin. Their top two scorers from last season are back in Sydney Preston and Savannah Madden.

Kalamazoo United and Mattawan picked up SWMHSHL victories Wednesday evening, as United topped the Kalamazoo Eagles and the Wildcats beat Portage Northern, both by finals of 4-1. Both winners saw great goaltending as United’s Jake Gerhard made 44 saves and Mattawan’s Shaffer Moore tallied 34.

In the first game, Kalamazoo United’s Brenden Warner scored the opening goal with 10:28 remaining on the first. The Eagles seemed to have a big opportunity midway through the second off a major penalty against United, but the Hams picked up a shorthanded goal by Garrett Warner. The Eagles committed a major of their own late in the second and found themselves in a 5-on-3 situation, which United’s Topher Strunk used for a powerplay goal and a 3-0 lead entering the second intermission.

The Eagles scored their goal with 14:29 left thanks to Carter Maxey, but couldn’t beat Gerhard again, despite 20 shots on goal in the third period. Brenden Warner tallied an empty net goal for the 4-1 final, giving him a three point night off two goals and one assist. Eagle goalie Huston Born had 24 saves. United’s win gives them a 1-0-0 start to league play and puts them at 1-1-0 overall. The Eagles fall to 1-3-0 overall and 0-2-0 within the SWMHSHL.

In the second game, Mattawan’s Jason Moreau scored with 13:27 to go in the first period. The 1-0 score held until Moreau struck again early in the second. With 4:59 remaining in the second, Niko Stamas grabbed a Mattawan powerplay goal. In the final minute, Jake Kruzich added a shorthanded goal for a 4-0 Wildcat lead. Portage Northern’s lone score came early in the third period on a powerplay from Will Todd.

Kruzich finished with a three point night on his goal and assists on both Moreau goals. Husky goalie Peter Todd had 22 saves. Mattawan is 2-0-0 in league play and 2-1-1 overall, Portage Northern drops to 0-1-0 in league action and 1-4-0 overall.

The Comstock Colts started the 2017-18 girls basketball season with a win on their home court Tuesday, defeating the Vicksburg Bulldogs 58-39. Vicksburg had the game’s first bucket, but Comstock responded with a three-pointer and held the lead for the rest of the contest.

The Colts started with a 14-4 run, although their lead shrank to 17-10 after the first quarter. Comstock led by as many as 11 in the second half, but numerous Colt fouls sent Vicksburg to the line, allowing them to get back within six by halftime, 26-20. Comstock cleaned up their defense in the second half, fouling only twice, allowing them to assume control the rest of the way.

Comstock’s top scorers were Daisy Ansel with 16 and Ahkyla Blakely with 15. Vicksburg’s Hannah Vallier led all players with 18 points, including a 6-6 mark at the foul line.

The Colts stay at home for their next contest on Friday against Niles Brandywine. The Bulldogs continue their opening road trip, heading to league-foe Three Rivers Friday. Listen back to Tuesday’s game below:

Wednesday will be the first Southwest Michigan High School Hockey League (SWMHSHL) game for Kalamazoo United, as they look to defend their regular season and tournament championship from last season. It will be United’s second overall match, as they fell 4-2 in their opener at Canton on November 18.

Like United, Portage Northern plays their first league game Wednesday. They’re 1-3-0 thus far, with their most recent game Saturday in a 5-4 loss to Grand Haven. Mattawan won their league opener last week against the Eagles. It was their first overall win as well, with the Wildcats at 1-1-1.

Mattawan beat the Huskies twice last season, 3-1 on January 14 and 9-6 on December 7. They split their meetings two seasons ago, with the last Portage Northern win on January 27, 2016.

Vicksburg ended last season at 10-11, second in the Wolverine Conference South division at 5-3. After a 3-8 start, the Bulldogs hit their stride in the second half of the season, finishing 7-3 in their final 10 games. Vicksburg lost seven seniors and both of their All-Wolverine selections, 1st-Teamer Layna Steele and honorable mention Kennedy Nabozny.

Comstock won last season’s meeting on the road, 51-43. Two seasons ago at Comstock, the Colts were 57-38 winners. They didn’t meet three seasons ago. As conference and division rivals four seasons ago, they split their two contests with the home team winning both times. Vicksburg’s last win over Comstock was 44-39 on December 3, 2014. Their last win at Comstock came January 26, 2012.

December marks the start of the 2017-18 MHSAA boys basketball season. This post takes a look at the teams in the greater Kalamazoo area and features teams within the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SAC), Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC), Wolverine Conference, Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph (BCS) Red, Southwest 10, and Interstate 8.

(NOTE: Not all teams have rosters and/or statistical information available from the previous season.)

Hackett Catholic loses four seniors and returns five varsity contributors. The biggest loss is first-teamer Teddy Oosterbaan and his near double-double per game. Among those back are first-teamer Cooper Smith and his 13 points per game, plus honorable mention Jacob Niesen and Heath Baldwin

Schoolcraft suffered significant losses, including eight seniors and their top four scoring players. First-team SAC Valley Ricky Clark and Kalamazoo Gazette Dream Teamer Caleb Eustice, plus honorable mention Max Kulczyk and Jason Feddema will need to be replaced. Despite this, the Eagles still have solid talent, including five seniors with varsity experience and sophomore Kobe Clark. Another wild card is Trenton Lomason, a senior transfer who was a big contributor last season at Vicksburg.

The one first-team SAC Valley pick yet to be mentioned was Trevor Patterson, who returns for his senior season in 17-18 at Galesburg-Augusta.

Over in the Lakeshore, Fennville must replace their two first-team SAC selections in top-scorer Julian Martinez-Grigg and JP Alfaro. #2 scorer and Lakeshore honorable mention Austin Lewis is back, he averaged 11 points per game as a junior. The other Blackhawk honorable mention returns as well in Ben Renkema.

Saugatuck loses second-team All-State Blake Dunn and his impressive 23 points per game, but still have first-team Lakeshore pick Teaque Tiemeyer and his 16 points per game. Tiemeyer joins seven other Saugatuck players back with varsity experience, including Blake’s younger brother Brad, fresh off All-State football honors.

Martin has the challenge of replacing longtime varsity starters Tanner Curry and Matt MacVean, both first-team Lakeshore selections. Both Clipper honorable mention players return to the lineup in Carter Hinton and Andrew Boss.

Gobles graduated seven seniors, including top-scorer and first-teamer Tyler Hunt and honorable mention Clayton Stapert. Together, they averaged 28 points and 18 boards per contest. Two returning seniors will be called on to shoulder the load, Peyton Austin and Tyler Stedman.

Watervliet loses only three seniors and gets back all three of their SAC Lakeshore honorees. Watervliet’s strengths will be inside. 6’8” Dan Cluster earned first-team and is one of the bigger centers within the SAC. Honorable mention forwards Sheldon Tobar and Bryant Kieft helped propel the football team to the quarterfinal, with Kieft getting first-team All-State on the gridiron.

Despite their struggles, Lawrence did get three SAC Central honorable mention picks. Two graduated, Andrew Lowe and Jacob Ghidotti. Back is Brandon Lopez, who earned the honor last season as a freshman.

Battle Creek Central also loses a very strong senior class, including four members of the Battle Creek Enquirer All-City team (Juan Warren, Jahmiel Wade, Demetrius Craig, Denzell Banks). They do have a solid post presence back in Orlando Lee, who cracked the Bearcat starting lineup as a sophomore.

Lakeview must replace four-year varsity point guard CJ Foster and leading scorer Jaylon Johnson, plus seven other seniors from the 16-17 squad.

Mattawan looks to have great size back for the new season, including Nolan Foster (6’9”), Jaden Mabin (6’5”) and Chris Becker (6’4”).

Gone from Loy Norrix is Delano Swift and his 16 points per game. The Knights also graduated their #2 and #4 scorers from last season, although they do have nine returning players that have seen varsity action.

To the SMAC West, Portage Central lost honorable mention All-State Austin McCullough and his 17 points per game, along with honorable mention Johnny Maier and four other seniors. Six guys are back from last year’s varsity roster.

St. Joseph brings back a few notable contributors for their senior campaign in Cade Shimulunas, Trevor Dilley, and Ryan Haynes.

Portage Northern only had two seniors on last season’s team, Duane Jackson and Parker Simon. The Huskies had six players see significant time last season as sophomores or freshmen, including Gazette honorable mention guard Devin Marshall.

In the North, South Haven loses six seniors, including first-team Wolverine selection Joe Wilkins. Honorable mention pick Caleb Ford returns with seven other players back with varsity experience.

Paw Paw must replace first-team point guard Trey Brennan, but they return one of the conference’s most dynamic scoring threats in Luke Toliver. He grabbed first-team Wolverine and Gazette Dream Team with 21 points and eight rebounds per game. Paw Paw loses six other seniors and brings back four players with varsity minutes.

Plainwell could be a significant threat, bringing back four of their top five scorers from last season. First-teamer Luke Morrell and second-teamer Evan Finch combined for around 33 points per game. They do lose second-team point guard Ben Gibson, but have Zakary Termeer, second in assists last season, to take his place.

Allegan’s lone All-Wolverine pick, Caleb DeKryger, returns this season for the Tigers.

To the South, Three Rivers lost eight seniors, most notably second-team Wolverine Carson Charvat and honorable mention Eric Johnson. However, the Wildcats did have a few underclassmen with starts in 16-17, including first-team Wolverine Tirrell Hausmanis and honorable mention Jalen Heivilin. Gavin Charvat and Jensin Blyly also were significant contributors who return.

Sturgis has to replace first-teamer Matt Polzin and honorable mention Brandon Wetzel. Their other honorable mention pick, Brecken Stewart, leads those back for the 17-18 campaign.

Dowagiac’s first-team Wolverine pick Adrien Bucha-Moore is gone, along with honorable mention Jayden Smith. Two honorable mentions are back in Jamin Hunt and Demetrius Lanier, with Lanier getting the honor as a freshman last season.

Edwardsburg only saw one All-Wolverine selection in 16-17 and must replace him in second-teamer Adam Kozinski.

BCS-Red

TEAM

OVERALL

DIV

PLAYOFFS

Brandywine

19-3

8-1

Lost in District

Comstock

9-12

6-3

Lost in District

Berrien Springs

11-11

6-4

Lost in District

Buchanan

11-10

5-5

Lost in District

Bridgman

7-15

3-7

Lost in District

Parchment

4-17

1-9

Lost in District

Brandywine loses honorable mention All-State point guard Hunter Slaughter from their 16-17 team. They also lose guard Brady Duval, but notably have post presence Jaden Croom back for his junior campaign.

Coldwater was led last season by honorable mention All-State pick Gage McGuire, who led the team in both points per game (16.6) and rebounds per game (8.8) as a sophomore. He joins seven returning players with six seniors gone.

Pennfield graduates all three of their Enquirer All-City selections in Ron Jamierson, Francois Jamierson, and Deveaire Todd. Together, they averaged around 46 points per game for the Panthers. Although certainly tough to replace, those three were the squad’s only seniors last season.

Harper Creek also saw three All-City selections with two gone, leading scorer Jeremiah Davis and JaCory McNutt. Davis also earned honorable mention All-State with just under 19 points per game. Their third All-City choice returns in Dom Gibson, along with starter Jon Taylor.

Southwest 10

TEAM

OVERALL

PLAYOFFS

Cassopolis

18-5

Regional Semifinalist

Bloomingdale

14-7

Lost in District

Centreville

14-7

Lost in District

Marcellus

12-11

Regional Semifinalist

Mendon

10-12

Lost in District

Eau Claire

9-12

Lost in District

Hartford

9-12

Lost in District

Decatur

6-15

Lost in District

White Pigeon

3-18

Lost in District

Bangor

0-21

Lost in District

Although Cassopolis loses 13 points per game from Shane Los, the Rangers have nearly 40 points per game returning with junior Tyrese Hunt-Thompson (BCS-Blue MVP) and seniors Kiambu Gary and Xander Smith. Seven other players come back with varsity experience, making Cassopolis the favorite in the Southwest 10’s first basketball season.

Despite losing six seniors, Marcellus brings back most of their starting lineup for 17-18. Gone is first-team SAC Central Brandon Clark, but back are first-teamer Trevor Henry, and honorable mentions Eli Robinson and Jack Sumners.

Five seniors are gone for Mendon, but the top three scorers from last season are back for the Hornets. Lukas Crotser, Hunter Lovell, and Keaton Crotser combined for around 29 points and 17 rebounds per game last season.

Hartford’s lone SAC Lakeshore first team selection graduated in Austin Nelson. Both of their honorable mentions return, William Martinez and Garrod Johnson.

The first MHSAA varsity boys basketball contests begin December 4. Make sure to follow the Slocum Sports Network for girls and boys basketball broadcasts in the greater Kalamazoo area throughout 2017-18. For the girls season preview, click here.

Mattawan prepares to hit the ice. Brad Kolinski (#8) and Niko Stamas (#9) both had goals Wednesday. Shaffer Moore (#1) had a shutout in net.

The Mattawan Wildcats and Blades of Southwest Michigan saw victories on Thanksgiving Eve, as Mattawan shutout the Kalamazoo Eagles 4-0 and the Blades downed Portage Central 3-1. For all four teams, it was the first action of the season within the Southwest Michigan High School Hockey League (SWMHSHL).

In game one, Mattawan controlled the possession and tempo throughout the entire contest, finishing with 42 shots on goal and allowing only 15. The first three goals came within the first six minutes of action, scored by Zach Swintz, Niko Stamas, and Brad Kolinski. The score held at 3-0 until Zach Wiggins’ goal midway through the third period.

Shaffer Moore earned his first shutout of the season for the Wildcats, giving them their first overall win of the campaign with a 1-1-1 record. The Eagles fall to 1-2-0 on the loss.

In the second game, the Blades scored on a blue-line slap shot from Vicksburg sophomore Austin Zeigler 90 seconds into the match. The game remained 1-0 until Cole Shafer’s Blade goal with 8:15 remaining in the third. Portage Central finally got by Blade goalie Zac Hattan with 4:05 to go on a Mitchell Ely goal, but a Zac Gothard empty netter in the final minute secured the Blade victory.

Hattan made 22 saves, PC’s Bryan Gracey stopped 33 shots. Jaxon Dobrolowski had assists on the first two Blade goals, helping get them to 3-0-0 overall thus far. The Mustangs sit at 0-2-0.

Portage Central is off until Saturday, December 2 at home against Kenowa Hills. The Blades return to action this Saturday at home versus Royal Oak. Mattawan’s next contest is next Wednesday against league foe Portage Northern. The Eagles join Mattawan in the doubleheader Wednesday as they face Kalamazoo United.

The Kalamazoo Cougars basketball program won both parts of their first home varsity doubleheader Tuesday evening, earning a 61-57 boys victory and a 61-9 girls win over the Wyoming Warriors. While the girls game was never in question, the Cougar boys had to erase a double-digit hole to remain unbeaten on the young season.

The first quarter saw three lead changes, ending with the Warriors holding a 15-11 lead. Wyoming remained ahead for the entire second quarter, using early Cougar foul troubles to lead by as many as 11 points. The Cougars finished the second on a 13-4 run, trailing 30-26 at the break.

Kalamazoo opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run to take the lead and held a 44-39 advantage after the third. They traded the lead in the fourth quarter, but Wyoming soon found themselves without two starters, one to injury and one fouled out. Down two in the final seconds, the Warriors missed a three and were forced to foul with four seconds remaining. Cougar point guard Isaac Geiger buried both of his free throws to put the game out of reach.

Geiger and Josh McDonald were big at the free throw line, going a combined 12-14. McDonald led the team with 20 points, followed by 14 from Pipo Hofstra and 12 from Geiger. Wyoming was led by 19 from Wil Tiesma, trailed by 12 from Jake Minard. The Cougar boys move to 3-0 overall with Wyoming at 0-2.

Meanwhile, the girls game was the first action of the year for both squads. Kalamazoo was dominant from the very beginning, holding a 25-3 lead after the first quarter and a 39-7 advantage at halftime. Lauren Tuin topped Kalamazoo with 16 points, followed by Hannah Hofstra with 11. All nine players that dressed for the Cougars scored at least two points.

Kalamazoo returns home next Tuesday for a varsity doubleheader against the Grand Rapids Grizzlies. Wyoming is off until Thursday, November 30 with the boys hosting St. Johns and the girls hosting Wellspring Preparatory.

All four teams opened their regular season last week against non-league opponents. Mattawan sits at 0-1-1 with a 2-1 loss Friday at Grand Rapids West Catholic and a 2-2 draw Saturday against Grand Haven. The Eagles are 1-1-0 with a 8-6 Wednesday win over Kenowa Hills and a 8-3 loss Saturday to Jenison. Last November, Mattawan beat the Eagles 6-1. Their January rematch was a 7-7 draw. The last Eagle win over the Wildcats was December 10, 2014.

Both Portage Central and the Blades faced Notre Dame Prep over the weekend. The Mustangs fell 5-3 Saturday, whereas the Blades had a dominant 8-0 win Friday. The Blades also grabbed a 8-2 win over West Catholic Saturday. The Blades won both meetings with Portage Central last season, 5-3 and 2-1. The Mustangs claimed both matchups over the Blades two seasons ago.

The Kalamazoo Cougars varsity boys started the season strong on Saturday with two wins over conference opponents MCAC (Michigan Christian Athletic Club) and Kokomo.

In their first game of the season, the Cougars came out of the gate quickly against MCAC and led 17-4 at the end of the first quarter. However, MCAC poured in shots from behind the arc to close the deficit to 24-18 by halftime.

After the teams traded blows in the third quarter, the Cougars blew the game open with dominant post play by sophomore forward, Pipo Hofstra, who ended the game with 21 points. Freshman guard Josh McDonald contributed 15 points and senior guard Isaac Geiger scored 7 as the Cougars garnered their first win, 54-35.

Against their afternoon opponent, the Kokomo Eagles, the Cougars used a balanced offensive attack to eventually overwhelm the Eagles. Although the score was 26-25 after two quarters, the Cougar halftime adjustments to their defense paid dividends. The Eagles were held to just 4 points in the third quarter and 5 points in the fourth quarter as the Cougars’ trapping zone forced turnover after turnover.

The Cougars won 63-34 and were led in scoring by 8th grade forward, Ty Rykse, who scored 13 and sealed the game with clutch threes in the fourth quarter. Pipo Hofstra scored 12 points and junior center Mike Janik scored 11. Junior forward Colt Logan
provided a strong boost off the bench as scored 6 and forced multiple turnovers.